Musical Exoticism

Instructions

Requirements: 2 pages, double-spaced, 12-point font, 1" marginsMusic:Borodin, In the Steppes of Central Asiahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W2aQf8Lb5MBackground: Borodins In the Steppes of Central Asia is a symphonic poem composed in 1880 to celebrate the reign of Tsar Alexander II, who had expanded the Russian Empire into Central Asia. Borodin was one of the Kuchka, a group of five Russian composers dedicated to making a distinctly Russian style of music. A symphonic poem is a composition for a symphony orchestra. Though it has no lyrics, the music follows a storyline, called a program, which is given to the audience ahead of the performance.Program:In the silence of the monotonous steppes of Central Asia is heard the unfamiliar sound of a peaceful Russian song. From the distance we hear the approach of horses and camels and the bizarre and melancholy notes of an oriental melody. A caravan approaches, escorted by Russian soldiers, and continues safely on its way through the immense desert. It disappears slowly. The notes of the Russian and Asiatic melodies join in a common harmony, which dies away as the caravan disappears in the distance.Assignment:Read the above program carefully and then listen to Borodins In the Steppes of Central Asia. Write an analysis of the music in which you examine how it embodies musical exoticism. Be as specific as you can and point to particular musical features, such as melody, harmony, rhythm, use of particular instruments, etc. Identify the traits of musical exoticism you hear in this composition. Distinguish which melody represents the peaceful Russian song and which represents the oriental melodyuse time markers and explain why you think which melody is which. Finally, does the peaceful Russian song or the oriental melody dominate? Justify your answer to this question by explaining what about the music makes that so. To do this assignment well, you will have to listen to the music several times and take notes on what you hear.Note: wikipedias entry on this piece is rather simplistic and does nothing to illuminate the narrative that the music follows. Using it instead of your own analysis will be rather obvious and detrimental to your grade.

Answer